Child development
-
Neuroanatomical Variability and Early Substance Use Initiation: Insights from the ABCD Study
Adolescence is a period of rapid brain development, making it a sensitive window for experiences that may shape long-term outcomes. A new study from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) project examined whether neuroanatomical variability is linked to early initiation of alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis. Drawing on baseline brain images taken before substance use began, the researchers found regionally specific differences in cortical thickness and surface area among early initiators. The findings highlight the complexity of adolescent neurodevelopment and point to the value of large-scale, longitudinal studies in clarifying how brain structure and behaviour unfold together.
Read more -
Social Fears in Children: The Roles of Parental Communication and Child Temperament
A recent longitudinal study by Zeytinoglu and colleagues (2025) provides insights into how parental verbal communication and child characteristics contribute to the transmission of social fears. The study shows the impact of both positive and negative maternal statements about ambiguous social situations, finding that positive comments were linked to reductions in children’s social fear beliefs, while negative comments predicted increases, especially among children who were behaviourally inhibited or had high anxiety.
Read more -
Autumn Webinar programme
Don’t miss the early birds! All events are centred around evidence-based research, and our speakers are some of the leading lights in the field. ACAMH is a charity, and we receive no government funding, nor do we ask for donations.
Read more -
The Early Path to Social Anxiety: How Temperament, Attention, and Emotion Interact to Inform Intervention Strategies
In this insightful session, Dr. Koraly Pérez-Edgar, McCourtney Professor of Child Studies at Penn State University, will explore how early-emerging temperament, particularly behavioral inhibition, can influence children’s long-term social and emotional development.
- Event type
- Introductory and Update Session
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
-
Neurodiversity: Cutting-Edge Research, Evolving Perspectives, and Effective Innovations – 2025 Jack Tizard Memorial International Conference
BOOKINGS CLOSED
- Event type
- Jack Tizard Memorial International Conference
- Location
- LIVE STREAM
-
Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke – Editor in Chief
Editor in Chief, Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke is Professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience working in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King’s College London.
Read more -
JCPP Annual Research Review 2024 – “Time may change me”: Developmental change across multiple time scales
We are delighted to announce the release of the 2024 Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry (JCPP) Annual Research Review, edited by Sara R. Jaffee.
Read more -
Neurodevelopmental Dimensional Assessment and Genomic Risk of Neuropsychiatric Conditions
In this Papers Podcast, Dr. Sam Chawner discusses his JCPP Advances paper ‘Neurodevelopmental dimensional assessment of young children at high genomic risk of neuropsychiatric conditions’. Sam is the first author of the paper.
Read more -
2023 Top 10 Downloaded Journal Papers
After another successful year for our three journals, the Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry (JCPP), the Child & Adolescent Mental Health (CAMH) journal, and JCPP Advances, we are proud to present the top 10 most downloaded papers for each journal, published in 2023, as of 27 November 2023.
Read more -
Interplay of early negative life events, development of orbitofrontal cortical thickness and depression in young adulthood
Open Access paper from JCPP Advances – ‘Using a complete longitudinal design with four time points, we examined whether NLE during childhood and early adolescence predict depressive symptoms in young adulthood through accelerated OFC thinning across adolescence.’ Lea L. Backhausen (pic) and Jonas Granzow et al.
Read more